Dispenser type box

ABSTRACT

A dispenser type box of the type useful in containing comminutive goods, including gun pellets which can be poured from the box. The box has a body portion with a rectilinear open top having a narrow side and with a first cover hinged along the longer side to cover the box opening. The first cover has its own opening at its narrower side, and a second cover is hinged at the first cover&#39;&#39;s opening, all such that the goods can be poured from the box at the narrower side of the box and through the second opening. Both covers are finger-press operated so that they can be secured and released. Also, the entire unit is made of one plastic material, including the two hinges for the two covers.

United States Patent 1 1 Heter, Jr.

211 Appl. No.2 152,823

[52] US. Cl. 222/480, 206/41.2 R [51] Int. Cl 867d 3/00 [58] Field of Search 222/556, 480, 153,

222/545, 541, 215, 562; 220/315; 206/4l.1, 41.2, 41.2 B, 41.2 R, 37R, 41 C, 41 B, 41.1 L

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,187,964 6/1965 Foster 222/556 X 3,251,509 5/1966 Foster 222/480 X 2,642,987 6/1953 Castelli 220/315 Sept. 18, 1973 Primary Examiner-Robert B Reeves Assistant Examiner-James M. Sllattery Attorney-Arthur .l. Hansman n [57] ABSTRACT A dispenser type box of the type useful in containing comminutive goods, including gun pellets which can be poured from the box. The box has a body portion with a rectilinear open top having a narrow side and with a first cover hinged along the longer side to cover the box opening. The first cover has its own openingat its narrower side, and a second cover is hinged at the first covers opening, all such that the goods can be poured from the box at the narrower side of the box and through the second opening. Both covers are fingerpress operated so that they can be secured and released. Also, the entire unit is made of one plastic material, including the two hinges for the two covers.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEH$EP18|973 3.759.428

JNVE N TOR ELMO w HETER, JR.

A 7'TORNE) DISPENSER TYPE BOX This invention relates to a dispenser type box of the nature which contains comminutive goods which can be easily placed into the box and which can easily be poured out of the box in a controlled manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Boxes for containing comminutive goods are known in many different forms. Certain of these prior art boxes have two openings and a cover for each opening, one of the openings being for filling the box, and the other opening being for pouring the goods from the box. These types of boxes are commonly a re-usable box so the two openings have covers which can be repeatedly opened and closed relative to the two openlngs.

The present invention is related to a box where it is desirable to have a large opening for filling the box, and it is also desirable to have a smaller opening for dispensing the contents from the box, by pouring the contents out of the box. The one specific application of the present invention is relative to gun pellets which are placed into the box in quantities of hundreds or so, and it is then desirable to be able to dole out or pour out the pellets from the box.

The prior art boxes are commonly provided for very specific applications of containing and dispensing goods, but no box is known which will serve the purpose of the particular application of doling out the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The drawings show one embodiment of the invention which is shown to include a box body 10 of a rectilinear shape and having a rectangular top plan configuration, such as clearly seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. The box body 10 has a front upright wall 11, and it also has the three other upright walls forming the rectangular body 10. The body 10 also has .a closed bottom 12, and the top has a rectangularly shaped opening 13, as shown in FIG. 5. It will therefore be understood that the body 10 is in the nature of a container which is enclosed for holding comminutive goods, such as pellets for use in an air rifle or the like. 7

A first top cover 14 is hingedly mounted on the body 10 by means of a hinge 16 extending along one of the longer sides of the body 10, namely the back side 17. Thus the cover 14 snugly closes over the body opening 13, and the body opening has a continuous notch 18 ex- 5 tending around the top edge thereof, and the first cover comminutive goods and to accomplish the end results described relative to this invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a box which can be conveniently handled, both for filling goods and for dispensing goods, and which can be conveniently packed into larger boxes for storage and shipment, and which is inexpensive, attractive and yet sturdy and non-corrosive in its structure.

A more specific object of this invention isto provide a box which provides a large opening for readily and easily filling the box. with comminutive type goods, and which provides a smaller opening for dispensing the goods from'the box and for completely exhausting the goods without requiring excessive shaking or manipulation of the box.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a box which has the aforementioned features and which has a structure made of one type of plastic material, ineluding even the hinges of the box covers which close over the openings mentioned. Still further, and in conjunction with this and the aforementioned objects, it is significant thatthe box of this invention has its covers of a finger-press type so that only thumb or finger pressure is required for both latching and un-latching both covers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of FIG. 4, but showing the cover in a more opened position.

has a mating notch 19 extending therearound so that the notches l8 and 19 nest together to form a snug closure. Also, it will be understood that the entire box of the body 10 and the cover 14 and the remainder of the box is all made of one plastic material, preferably a durable and selfsupporting type plastic. Thusthe hinge 16 is also made of the plastic material and is of a thinner shape than that of the thickness of the walls of the box body and of the cover 14 so that the hinge 16 is in the nature of a skin arrangement'and is therefore flexible for repeated opening and closing or hinge action of the cover 14. a

A second and smaller cover 21 is also hingedly mounted and is of the same arrangement, generally speaking, as the hinge 16, and thus the cover 21 has its skin type hinge 22, as seen in FIG. 4. The hinged cover 21 can then be repeatedly opened and closed without damage to the hinge 22 and of course without requiring a separate material, such as a metal type hinge, and the entire box can be made in one molding.

The cover 14 thus has an opening 23 over which the second cover 2lis disposed to close the opening when the cover 21 is in the secured position. Thus the opening 23 is generally in line with or adjacent with the box side wall 24 so that the pellets or the like can be directly poured along the wall 24 and they will then flow out the opening 23. The underneath portion of the cover 21 has a rib piece 26 which is disposed in'snug contact with the wall 27 defining one side of the opening 23 when the cover 21 is in the closed position. That I is, the cover rib 26 swings along the are 28 and isthus in snug abutment with the opening wall 27 when the A cover 21 is in the closed position. FIGS. 4 and 6 show these features, and thus the cover 21 is of a finger-press type, for both opening and closing; the cover 21. That is, the cover 21 needs to only be pressed downwardly, and the rib 26will snugly abut the wall 27 and hold the cover 21 closed, and also the cover 21 need only be finget-pressed upwardly at its edge 29 in order to open the cover 21.

The first cover 14 also has a fastening means which includes the tab 31 and the anchoring post 32. The tab 31 is hingedly connected to the cover 14 by means of the thinner section or skin section designated 33, and the post 32 is fixed on the box front wall 11, both features as shown in FIG. 5. The tab 31 has an opening 34 which receives the post 32 which has an enlarged or shoulder portion 36 which slides over the tab 31 by projecting through the narrower opening 34, and it will be understood that the opening 34 has radial slits extending therefrom so that the portion of the tab 31 adjacent the opening 34 can flex for the movement over the shoulder 36. Thus the tab 31 is also a finger-press type fastening means, and this tab 31 can be released by finger pressure applied underneath the tab 31 to swing it away from the box body 10. A nipple 37 extends on the inside surface of the tab 31 and thus holds the tab 31 slightly away from the box body indented wall 38 so that one may insert a portion of a thumb or other finger to pull the tab 31 upwardly and away from the recessed box wall 38.

It will therefore be understood that there is provided a box which can be made of one plastic material, including the three hinges which are made of a thinner dimension but of the same material and in the nature of a skin arrangement, and the two fastening means are of a finger-press type. The hinges 16 and 22 are transverse to each other, so the cover 21 can be pressed upwardly to open the cover without causing the cover 14 to be urged open and thus there is no pull on the fastening means securing the cover 14 in the closed position. The larger cover 14 provides for convenient filling of the box, and the small cover 21 provides for doling the contents from the box, and the complete contents can be easily poured out since the opening 21 is adjacent the narrower box wall 24. Thus the hinges 16 and 22 are in the nature of webs of the plastic material which is thicker in the wall portions adjacent the hinges and therefore the hinges will flex as desired. Also, by virtue of the front wall recess 38 in the box body 10, the fastening means for the cover 14 is completely received within the recessed defined by the wall 38 and thus the entire box is of a rectilinear shape and can be readily stored in a compact arrangement of a multiplicity of the boxes, and the box can also be easily handled since it has no protrusions.

What is claimed is:

l. A dispenser type box for pouring the contents therefrom, comprising a box body having a rectangular cross-sectional top plan shape and having an open top of the full area of said cross-sectional shape, a rectangularly shaped first cover hinged onto said body along the longer rectangular side of the upper edge of said body for covering said open top and with said first cover having a pouring opening at the narrower side thereof and extending through the edge of said narrower side but for only the center portion of the length of said narrower side, said first cover having a portion on each side of said opening and defining said opening and extending to and presenting said edge on opposite sides of said opening, fastener means operative between said first cover'and said body for releasably securing said first cover in closed position over said open top, a second cover hinged onto said firstcover about a hinge line transverse to the hinge line of said first cover and at the end of said opening opposite from said edge of said first cover, said second cover fully extending over said opening for closing over siad opening, and snap type means operative between said first cover and second cover for releasably securing said second cover in closed position over said opening and with said second cover being hingedly movable upwardly on said first cover and releasable in its snap-type means without displacing said first cover from its closed position.

2. The dispenser type box as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fastener means for said first cover includes a tab extending from said cover on the side thereof opposite the hinge for said first cover, said box body having a recess for receiving said tab in the secured position of said first cover, and said fastening means including a latching post on said box body and concealed in said recess for holding said tab in secured position and recessed within the outer dimensional limits of the remainder of said box body. 

1. A dispenser type box for pouring the contents therefrom, comprising a box body having a rectangular cross-sectional top plan shape and having an open top of the full area of said crosssectional shape, a rectangularly shaped first cover hinged onto said body along the longer rectangular side of the upper edge of said body for covering said open top and with said first cover having a pouring opening at the narrower side thereof and extending through the edge of said narrower side but for only the center portion of the length of said narrower side, said first cover having a portion on each side of said opening and defining said opening and extending to and presenting said edge on opposite sides of said opening, fastener means operative between said first cover and said body for releasably securing said first cover in closed position over said open top, a second cover hinged onto said first cover about a hinge line transverse to the hinge line of said first cover and at the end of said opening opposite from said edge of said first cover, said second cover fully extending over said opening for closing over siad opening, and snap type means operative between said first cover and second cover for releasably securing said second cover in closed position over said opening and with said second cover being hingedly movable upwardly on said first cover and releasable in its snap-type means without displacing said first cover from its closed position.
 2. The dispenser type box as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fastener means for said first cover includes a tab extending from said cover on the side thereof opposite the hinge for said first cover, said box body having a recess for receiving said tab in the secured position of said first cover, and said fastening means including a latching post on said box body and concealed in said recess for holding said tab in secured position and recessed within the outer dimensional limits of the remainder of said box body. 